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White House jabs London mayor over Brexit outburst

The White House mocked Boris Johnson's accusations of "exorbitant hypocrisy" Monday, saying the United States had every right to weigh in on Britain's Brexit debate.

PHOTO: REUTERS

[WASHINGTON] The White House mocked Boris Johnson's accusations of "exorbitant hypocrisy" Monday, saying the United States had every right to weigh in on Britain's Brexit debate.

"Mayor Johnson has a well-established reputation for rhetorical flourishes," joked White House spokesman Josh Earnest, responding to an outburst from the loquacious London mayor.

"I think that's one of the reasons that many people in the United States have such a positive impression of him," he added sarcastically.

Mr Johnson, who was born in New York, had said President Barack Obama's reported plan to visit Britain ahead of its June referendum on European Union membership was rich given America's "hysterical vigilance" about its own sovereignty.